


Initiative

by Chasethemorning



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:43:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9863390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chasethemorning/pseuds/Chasethemorning
Summary: Sixteen year old Lila Barton can't lay idle and do nothing while her Dad is stuck on The Raft, especially with her specific skill set.Rough, still. Not edited. Hopefully part of a later set of works.





	1. Trip the Alarm

**Author's Note:**

> Still unedited and rough. Sorry! Need to get the idea out of my head. Lol.

"Move out of my way," she hissed, with an unamused look. "Coop, I'm serious. I don't want to hurt you."

 

Cooper was 18 now,  graduating high school.  The height difference between them was profound. She looked up a good foot to meet his eyes, which were slightly glazed over from delving into the liquor cabinet when no one was looking. It was a new found hobby of his. The white water rafting trip was supposed to be a celebration of sorts for Coop, since he was going to college. When it was canceled it was like whatever respect Cooper had built for their father in his time of keeping his word evaporated. And when a week passed and he hadn't contacted their mother and she was worried quite literally sick, Coop started to urge her to leave. To divorce. Lila wasn't having it.

 

"What're you going to do? Shoot me?" he snorted. "That only works with distance, Lila. Go back to bed. Mom doesn't need to worry about you, too." 

 

Lila ducked under his arm, and he caught her bag, spinning her around. But he was big, stocky, a line backer on the high school team. She was a cheerleader, agile... and she quickly met his strong cheek bone with a high kick, hopping into the air. All of her weight behind her foot dropped him to the ground, and she took off.

 

Rushing down the hall, down the stairs, out the front door, she was stealthy and lucky that he wasn't quick enough to catch up. She started off toward the road where she'd already moved the car earlier in the day, hopped in and turned the ignition. Headlights still off in the dark, she didn't need them. Lila had all of Clint's gifts. She knew every turn in every road onto the main street. It was how she knew where she was headed as well. 

 

A new driver met the interstate at night. She took a deep breath, turning off the radio completely and fighting the tears welling in her eyes. They were going to be so pissed. But Nat had sent these cryptic messages and her accounts had gotten disabled all at once and she needed to find her and free their dad as soon as possible. 

 

Who knew what they were doing to him in there? They called it The Raft. It was a prison in the middle of the ocean and it was all over the news what had happened at that airport between Cap and Tony and the Avengers. She couldn't help but work out on her own that if Cap was willing to lay his life on the line for something, it was the right thing to do. And she needed to find Nat, and free the rest of the team. 

 

Lila sped down the freeway lost in her thoughts for hours. She took a dose of anxiety medication, checking her pulse. What if they were torturing him?  What if her mom listened to her brother and left him? He'd never get custody. Not given his job. Nathaniel wouldn't know him, not in the way she did. She forced herself to breathe, clutching the steering wheel, taking a sharp turn off of an exit and keeping her eyes steady. 

 

She'd only been once and she'd been blind folded but kind of like her dad, it didn't help much. She didn't have to look to know what direction she was moving in, and where she was headed and for how long. It was a gift and a curse all at once. She wanted to be at home, helpless, a little kid again. But she couldn't. She wouldn't be able to live with herself. 

 

She had done a lot of research and realized that the compound used to belong to Howard Stark as a warehouse for Stark Industries when she searched the round about direction and distance they'd traveled that day. Upstate New York. It was more difficult to narrow down an address but judging by the map, by google images and by reading old collectible packing labels, she knew where to go. 

 

First she needed to gather a better arsenal, find Nick Fury- her dad's old boss, and then she needed to convince him to help find Auntie Nat so they could rescue the prisoners. It wasn't that hard. After driving a reasonable distance from the compound, she ditched the car at a motel and left on foot. Black boots, black skinny jeans with rips up them, a big black hoody, her long brown hair tyed up and absolutely no make up on, it'd be hard to distinguish her from the photos her mother would use when she discovered her missing. She looked plain, passable, besides the archery bag on her back, but even that blended into the darkness. She slipped into the tree line and rubbed some dirt over her freckles, giving a little sigh and continuing inward.

 

If she cut north west through this patch of woods she'd be about five miles from the compound. Of course she was sure there'd be security measures but if she tripped them, she'd likely get to Fury quickly. Or Stark. Preferably Fury. She'd kill Tony Stark or die trying at the moment if she could. This was his fault. She didn't understand why completely but she reasoned enough to know that being a hero often meant going against majority rule, sacrificing everything to help change the situation in a way to make it right. Slovakia was Tony Stark's idea gone wrong. Her dad almost died for him there and lived with the guilt of the young kid who gave his life to save him. And this signing of this document was Tony's fault. Why didn't he stand down? She wasn't sure. She didn't understand the politics. Just that it happened.

 

After a few miles she stopped to rehydrate. She'd left her personal phone at home, having acquired a burner about a month ago. She slid through the photos of Natasha's cryptic clues, not sure how to reach her where she was. Auntie Nat was in hiding. She'd sent a post card, and Lila had had the postage point tracked, narrowing it down to a set part of New York, one she didn't dare set foot in. After another deep breath she continued on. Fury would know what to do. She was going to trip every alarm and arm herself the best she could. She needed her dad back. 

 

It wasn't until dawn that she came upon the compound, pulling off her hoodie and tying it around her waist and bag. She tossed a rock at the top of a wall. No electricity, no resistance barrier. Weird. She expected more measures. Quickly she started the climb, cynder by cynder block, taking a long moment to sit there at the top and catch her breath after. One of the most underappreciated skills of a cheerleader was knowing how to fall. She climbed down halfway and let go, tumbling on her landing as not to exert more than she needed to. And she was in the walls. That was easy. 

 

Too easy. Lila started to scan the exterior, her heart racing as one- two- three black SUVs pulled in through a gate. She hid behind some brush, trying to steady her breathing, watching the Agents-- or what used to be agents-- file out, the one in the middle in a long black leather trench coat with a patch over his eye. Bingo. Just who she needed to see. But... this wasn't exactly how she had expected it to happen. She slowly started to creep toward the building, stomach in knots, adrenaline pumping harder than before. Her hands were shaking like leaves, her mind racing. What was he here for?

 

She circled the training compound, checking windows and doors. Nothing. Only that front one. She was pretty sure it had safety measures connected to it though she hadn't fully been paying attention when she visited years ago. Would they shoot her if she knocked? Would Director Fury recognize her? And then she saw her pull up and Lila's jaw dropped. 

 

Red hair, sunglasses, it was her. She was here. Quickly Lila jumped out of the shadows and Auntie Nat slammed on the brakes in her little black corvette, jumping out and pulling the key in one fluid motion. But boy did she look pissed.

 

"Lila...Nicole...Barton."

 

Lila shook her head slowly, looking like a deer in headlights. Wrong move. Checkmate.

 

"Your mother is going to murder you."

 

Lila just blinked, raising up both hands like a fugitive. She bit her lower lip. Hard.

 

"I suggest you start talking. Now."

 

Lila took a deep breath but no words came besides "We have to go get my dad."

 

Nat took her by the arm and lead her in. She barely broke a cool, calmdemeanor so seeing the anger drip off of her was something new. She followed direction, wordlessly, as not to cause more upset. Barely breathing at this point she felt the prickly cold wet feeling slide down her back and neck, her body trembling more.

 

"What do you think you're doing? How did you think you were going to get to The Raft, Lila? What part of this felt like a remotely good idea?" Nat asked her quietly.

 

"I was going to come here, trip alarms and arm myself... force Fury to help me find you so we could-"

 

"Lila... I went into hiding for a reason. Do you realize how much danger we're in? I aided and embedded a criminal, not just any criminal, US Military property and a Soviet and HYDRA Soldier." Natasha blinked down at her. "Do you realize you're now an accomplice? You drove me out of hiding. Stealing the car. Infiltrating private property?" She spun her around. "Do you know how worried your mom is?"

 

Lila took a deep breath. She looked down. 

 

"How were you going to get Fury to help you out? Why wouldn't he just turn you in?"

 

The brunette shrugged. "I dunno, I'd point my bow at him..."

 

Nat's jaw dropped internally as she watched Barton's daughter. It was short lived. 

 

"That takes a lot of courage, but I'm far more reasonable than that," came a voice from the stairs. Lila turned to see Director Fury. Deer in headlights. "Call off the search. She's here. Don't notify anyone yet," he called up the stairs, coming farther down, closer to the two women. He shifted a bit, showing his palms, open, for Lila. "No weapons."

 

"How'd you know I was headed here? " she asked, sliding her bag off and wincing slightly. Everything between her shoulders ached. She arched and stretched as Nat let her loose.

 

"You left a trail. A faint one, considering your age and your inexperience. But a slight trail." Nat watched her worriedly. "I never realized how much you were listening in..."

 

Fury was close now. "Let's go sit down. You could use some water. Maybe some food. You covered 15 miles on foot last night, ten of it wooded. That's a hike for a little girl," he chided. "Reminds me of someone," he eyed Natasha.

 

"We don't have time. I have to go get my Dad. I need your help," she said quickly. "I'll do anything. I'm a good shot. I'll be in your debt. I'll help on a Strike Force. Just... please..."

 

Natasha's jaw dropped a second time. "No. You won't. You're sixteen. And Barton would kill anyone who considered it..."

 

Nick chuckled. "C'mon kid. We need to talk. Obviously." He tilted his head. "Consider this the time between tripping an alarm and my arrival," he jested. 

 

Lila was helpless once again as Natasha steered her toward a room with a table and chairs. She slowly took a seat, looking down at the wood top, her eyes feeling pretty heavy. She fumbled in her pocket for her medicine, sitting the pill bottles on the table as Fury poured her a glass of water. She eyed it suspiciously, before watching him take that cup as he caught on, pulling a new cup and pouring. He took a drink first to show her it was okay.

 

"Someone needs to call Laura. She is already sick over Clint," Natasha said frankly. 

 

"No, no, no," Fury said, watching the scene. Lila took a few pills purposefully, downing them with the water. "What're those for?" he asked.

 

"Depression, anxiety, ADD," she said quietly, stretching again. 

 

"Hmm. So, are you a good shot?" He asked, curiously.

 

"I don't know," she answered, looking down still.

 

It was quiet a moment before Nat spoke up.

 

"She is." Natasha stood up, pacing a bit, stopping to look out the window.

 

"How good?" Fury tilted his head. "If you were going to point that thing at me, I just want to know what I'm up against." 

 

It was silent. Lila looked up, breathing heavily. Her head started to ache. She rubbed her temples. 

 

"If she was going to kill you she wouldn't even have to look at you to shoot you," The Widow answered, still watching outside. "She's very much like him. Younger, more impulsive, but like him. Good with a gun too. And she's a gymnast. She's been trained relatively well, considering."

 

Lila swallowed hard. 

 

"You taught her about accepting drinks, I recognized that," Fury stated, looking over Natasha. "Same look. Maybe a tad bit more trusting but she's young and hasn't slipped up yet," he sat down and tilted his head. "Lila. Why did you do all of this? This was a lot of work, a lot of planning. So much could have went wrong."

 

Lila looked him in the eye and then closed her own. "I know my skills can help get them free. What if the sky opened up and a hoard of aliens popped out of it tomorrow? Who'd help? War Machine isn't doing so well from the news reports. Captain America is MIA. They shouldn't be rotting on some boat in the middle of the ocean. That's not fair."

 

Nick nodded. He sat back, looking her over. "But what would you do about it?"

 

Lila tilted her head. "Die trying to get them out. I can't just sit at home and do nothing knowing that I can help. Cooper's big, burly. But he doesn't have the skill to do what I can or the drive. He just sneaks mom's booze and tells her to leave my dad." She breathed out heavily. "And Auntie Nat disappeared to Koreatown," she eyed her. 

 

Nat turned around quickly, looking confused.

 

"I hacked the US Postal Service with back doors and traced the post card," she explained.

 

The room went absolutely silent. Four eyes stared at her in a mix of horror and pride. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, breathing out loudly again. 

 

"Mmm. We need a file on this one," he told Nat.

 

Natasha shook her head no.

 

Fury nodded. "You're both going to The Raft to free Barton and the others. I trust that you two are very capable of doing so." He leaned back on the chair. "I'll supply the Quinjett. And a Strike Team."

 

Natasha looked over her niece and closed her eyes quickly. She nodded silently. "And equipment?" 

 

Fury nodded. "I'll get her some good stuff. I'm curious to see how she grows up. Barton might not like it, but she has the initiative and the skill set necessary to be the future of this team, according to you. We'll send an agent to notify Laura so she doesn't think the worst."

 

Natasha nodded. She wasn't sure what to say. She hoped maybe Tony would have a change of heart and beat them to it, or call her for help. But no one had seen him in a few days. Vision wasn't the type to take on this sort of mission. She doubted anyone else would actually be willing to go, really, besides those who were already there. This was going to get interesting.

 

Lila took another small drink, shifting back in her chair, balancing on two legs now. "Tell my mom I love her," she said quietly before getting up and moving toward the door. "I need to go hit a few targets before we leave. I'm going to be grounded when I get back so I better make these last few hours count, huh?"

 

Natasha took a deep breath. "I'd say. You'll be lucky if your Dad doesn't dunk you in the ocean."

 


	2. Equilibrium

Lila sagged under the weight of the kevlar as Natasha helped her into it over some of Wanda's work out clothes left abandoned from training. They were about the same size, except that Lila was shorter. Nat looked her over, fastening the straps and zippers and frowning deeply.

 

Lila finally looked up, forcing her body upright. She wished she was a base instead of a flyer all the sudden as her posture grew harder to keep. It was like a weighted blanket almost. 

 

She didn't have a shot at asking Natasha why she looked so upset before a few of Fury's finest slipped in. He was supposed to be dead, after all. They weren't really SHIELD agents, therefore. And if Lila shot him... well... she couldn't really get in trouble, could she? Not that she wanted to shoot him.

 

One of the men fit her with a quiver, adjusting straps. The other handed her a bow. She bit her lip and tested it out, checking the pull and grip. 

 

"Red are explosive. Purple are sedative. Green are regular," said the guy with the quiver. 

 

Lila looked over at Natasha with a flutter in her chest that wouldn't settle. This was real. Somehow the weight of the things on her body was starting to have the opposite effect of a weighted blanket. She sucked in her lower lip. She knew if she told Aunt Nat she was nervous about going it'd be over and done. So she kept her jaw set.

 

"Jets landing. We have no intel on Rogers or Barnes location. Or Stark."

 

Nat snorted. "Of course you don't. You work for a dead man," she shook her head, looking away. 

 

Lila bit her lip, watching.

 

"Come on, let's go get on the plane, okay... I'm going to teach you some things to help out," Natasha said, taking Lila's hand. She quickly lead her outside, toward the smoothe pad, Lila barely remembering flights of stairs. "Act natural. Just keep walking no matter what," Natasha ordered.

 

Lila turned to look at her confused, keeping pace across the helipad until Natasha punched one of Fury's agents right in the face. She kept going. Quickly. 

Boarding the jet, Lila turned to see Natasha electrocute another agent, her hazel eyes wide and dark in disbelief. "Aunt Nat, What're you doing?" She hissed, biting her lip as Nat closed the dock door, flipping switches. "You just... beat those guys up?"

 

Natasha looked her over, sighing. "There are a lot of politics involved in this that you'll understand when you're older." She said it frankly. Like it was no big deal she electrocuted someone to steal their plane. 

 

Lila tried hard to breathe but she was having trouble even seeing to strap herself in as Nat started to raise the plane off the ground. Her face paled and she unhooked the quiver, sat aside both bows, and unzipped some of the body armor. "What're we doing?" She asked, finally getting the five point harness secured.

 

"We're creating our own mission." She looked over the young girl sitting beside her. "We're ensuring that this is a rescue mission and not recruitment. Lila, don't make my mistakes."

 

Lila looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

 

Natasha handed her a headset. She started to press different buttons, and a Lila narrowed her eyes until the jet chimed and stated "System Override."

 

Lila raised her brows. "You're really stealing this thing? This is really happening?"

 

Natasha sighed. She tilted her head. "We need to talk. Give me a minute..."

 

"Calculating route," said the plane as the burner phone started to ring.

 

Natasha picked ut up quickly. "Yea? Mmm. I'm close." Silence. " I know, right." Silence. "I'll be seeing you." She hung up.

 

Lila swallowed hard. "Who was that?" She asked.

 

"You'll see. For now, I need you to keep an eye on this gauge right here. Make sure it doesn't drift too far either way." Natasha sighed heavily. "Try to get comfortable. This is going to be a long trip," she said, before the jet started to move faster.

 

Lila did as told. She kept track of the gauge so well that Natasha added on more tasks every hour. After five hours, she motioned for Lila to get up and come to  her. 

 

Lila stood up, unbuckling herself, and wandered the four feet that separated the two seats. Natasha snaked her arms around her, pulling her onto her lap a moment, tilting her head. "Last time I did this you were like a decade younger." Slowly she lead Lila's hand to the shaft in her own. "Come on. You're doing everything else besides steering and controlling altitude. And doing really well at it," she looked her over. "Good," she said as she held the stick more firmly. "Pull up just a tad... slowly... good job."

 

Lila navigated the rest of the way with Natasha watching over her shoulder. She took back over when it was time to hover, however, knowing losing speed was more tricky than gaining.

 

Meeting another jet out here was not what Lila expected. She felt her heart start to flutter uncontrollably in her chest, her breathing more struggled. A hatch was opened and someone jumped down into the plane but Lila was too distracted trying to take her medicine to notice who it was until he spoke.

 

Turning to look she saw Natasha and Captain America talking and her medicine kicked in or else she may have wigged out as the reality of the situation grew heavier and more surreal. She refastened her vest, picking up the quiver and bow.

 

"This is Lila," Natasha said, pulling her over. "You met before."

 

Steve nodded. He looked her over, his lips curling in a thoughtful way. "Nice to meet you, Lila." He touched her arm a minute. 

 

Natasha looked Lila over. "Go ahead and put that stuff down." She met her eyes. "You're not actually going in there," she said.

 

Lila's face fell. She pursed her lips. 

 

"Steve is going in first, I'll act as look out. You're going to wait here," Natasha said. "I can't risk you. Your father would kill me." She explained. "Keep all of the meters and gauges level," she said softly. "We'll be right back."

 

Lila nodded. She was slightly relieved, but also disappointed. Slowly she sat back down, unbuttoning and zipping, shedding off the armor all together, her breathing evening out, chest unclenching. The pins and needles left her left arm slowly. "Nice to meet you, Cap," she said quietly. 

 

He waved and they were gone. 

 

She watched the needles tweak delicately in a small deviation for hours. It felt like days. Tired of hearing her own breathing, she started to sing, not well, but sing to fill the silence. There were a few loud thuds on the top of the jet and her face paled. 

 

Natasha came down first with a grunt. Then a guy with dark hair, she tilted her head at him before looking back to the meters a moment before she was jerked away. 

 

Clint's disapproving eyes made her cringe inside. She felt her eyes start to water, thinking of how angry he must be at her, how sick of her behavior. He was probably going to throw her into the ocean. But they softened. As they always did. And he scooped her up, sliding down the nearby bracer, holding her and stroking her hair. 

 

"Dad... are you okay?" She asked. "Did they hurt you?" She blinked up, tears falling down her face and onto the blue prison gear they'd been dressed in.

 

"Shhhh... it's okay... it's all okay," he said softly. "How's your mom and Coop and Nathaniel, are they okay?" Lila coughed and choked on a sob and hid back into him. Clint just held her, eyeing Scott and Natasha. "Mmmm. All that adrenaline running off. How'd you get here, princess?" He asked. "We need to talk..."


End file.
